Fluid producing apparatus



Aug. 23, 1938. T. E. BRYAN FLUID PRODUCING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 23, 1935Patented Aug. l2 3,

. 4UNITED STATESv PpsrEN'rA OFFICE 9 oisans.

This invention relates in general to an apparatus for flowing iluid froma well, or the like, where the natural pressure within the well at thebottom thereof is insufficient to cause the iiuidto rise to 6 the top ofthe well. More particularly, it relates to a device for employing gas,or the like, under pressure for the purpose of ejecting the fluid fromthe well, and to a. means for admitting such gas to the well at theproper time and place to cause 'l0 such uid to flow from the well.

In the past, various devices have been produced for the purpose ofilowing the fluid from a well where the natural pressure within thewelll was insufficient to cause the uid to flow, but these l have, forthe most part, depended upon aerating the column of fluid by introducinginto the column relatively small quantities of gas, thus lightening thecolumn of uid and making it possible for the natural pressure within thewell to raise the column of iiuid to the top of the well and thus causethe well to flow. At best, such an arrangement is useful only so long asthe natural pressure Within the well is high enough to raise a columnof. uid after the same has been aerated to the greatest possible extent.

It is an object to provide a device .of this general type in which, solong as any pressure exists within the producing formation at the bottomof the well suiiicient to cause a uid to rise within the well at all,such iiuid will be periodically and automatically ejected from the well.

A further object is to provide' a device which 'does not depend upon thenatural pressure at the bottom of the well to force the uid out of thewell.

Still another object is to provide a device of the character set forthin which the pressure of the gas being introduced for the purpose offlowing the well, will not affect the amount' of uid pro- 40 duced bythe well.

` 'Another object is to provide a device in which a gas introduced forthe purpose of ilowing the well will be governed solely by the relationbetween the pressure due to the hydrostatic head of thecolumn of fluidwithin the tubing in the well, vand the natural pressure existing at thebottom of the well substantially at the lower end of such 1 tubing.

With the foregoing and )other objects in view,

u this invention consists of various parts and combinations illustratedin the accompanying drawing and set forth in the following description,it being understood, however, that such drawing and description are onlyby way of illustration and are not to be taken as a limitation on thescope of the (Cl. 103-232l invention. Such limitation is to be only bythe prior art and by the terms of the appended claims. l Referring nowto the drawing, in which like numerals indicate corresponding partsthrough- 5 Figure l is a vertical cross-section, illustrating a deviceconstructed in accordance with this invention disposed at the bottom ofan oil or similar well. 10

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical crosssection illustrating the detailsof the gas admission valve shown in Figure 1.

As illustrated in Figure 1, a casing I is placed within the well insomewhat the customary manl5 ner and lowered to substantially the` upperboundary of the producing formation 2. A tubing 3 is then lowered intothe casing until its lower end 4 extends below the lower end of thecasing to a point substantially at the bottom of the well hole. 20 Thelower end of this tubing is threaded externally for the purpose ofreceiving a nut 5, this nut being threaded both internally andexternally. Surrounding the lower end portion of the tubing 3 is anintermediate cylindrical member 6, 25

curved at the upper end and joined to the wall of the tubing 'I by anysuitable means. This jointv need not necessarily be a lead-proofljoint.' Adjacent to its upper end, this member 6 is provided withopenings 8, for a purpose, which will be 30 presently set forth. Itslower end isthreaded `to receive the collar 9,'the lower end of thiscollar being threaded upon the exterior of the nut 5A.

Adjacent to its upper end, but below the per- A forations 8, thecylindrical member .6 is provided with a packing. I 0 whichserves toclose oil' the annular space between the cylindrical member 6 and theinternal wall of the casing I.

Just below the packing III the tubing 3 and the member 6 are providedwith substantially registering'openings and a nipple Il is inserted inthese openings to connect the same and provide a. passage between theexterior of the member 6 and the interior of the tubing. Inserted inthis 45 nipple is a valve seat member I2 which has an opening I3therethrough adapted to be closed by a check valve I4. This check' valveIl is hinged at I5 and is provided with a s top pin I6 to prevent itfrom opening too far.

Adiacent to its lower end, but above the nut 5, the tubing is providedwith an opening for the purpose of receiving a nipple I 1 adapted toconnect the exterior of the tubing with a cylindrical valve housing I8.An extra support I9 may also ,r-

, valve seat.

be provided to assist in properly supporting the valve housing, if sodesired.

'Ihe valve4 housing i8 is provided with a pair of spaced valve seats 2l]and 2i fitted within the valve housing at positions above and below theconnection with the nipple Vf. Each of these members 20 and 2| providesa downwardly facing At its lower end, the housing is internally threadedto receive a bushing 22, this bushing serving the double purpose oflimiting the downward travel of the valve stem 23 and also connectingthe housing I8 with the support i9.

Mounted upon the valve stem 23 in a position to close simultaneouslyIagainst the respective valve seats 2l] and 2l are a pair of valveelements 25 and 2li, thus forming a balanced valve controllingcommunication between the chamber intermediate of the tubing 3 and thecylindrical member 6 and the interior of the tubing.

AAt its lower end, the valve stem 23 is threaded to receive a plunger 26which is locked in place on the valve stem by a lock nut 21. The plunger26 is adapted to reciprocate within the opening 28 formed within a plugmember 29, fitted into the lower end of the tubing 3 with a tight t.

In operation, the formation 2, whatever may be its natural pressure,will produce a certain quantity of fluid and this fluid will rise withinthe chamber between the casing and the member 6 belowv the packing iinto the nipple il past the check valve I4 and into the tubing 3. As theformation continues to produce the fluid, the column of liquid willbegin to build up within the tubing 3 and will continue to build upuntil the hydrostatic head of the column of fluid becomes substantiallyequal to the pressure existing outside of the lower end of the tubing.When this condition prevails, the plunger 26 will move downwardlybecause of the lack of any unbalanced force tending to hold it up andthe valve elements 25 and 2li will be moved away from their respectiveseats. The annular space between the tubing and the casing above thepacking l0 is filled with gas or a gaseous substance under pressure andthis gas now enters through the opening 8 at the upper end of thecylindrical member 6 and passes through the nipple I1 and around thevalve elements 25 and 24 to enter the tubing at a point substantially atthe bottom end thereof. It is noteworthy that the opening through thenipple Il is quite large so that a considerable amount of the gaseousfluid may pass into the lower end of the tubing in a relatively shorttime. In fact, this gas is permitted to enter the tubing at such a ratethat instead of mixing with the liquid within the tubing it forms alarge bubble or gas piston below the column of fluid which has beencreated within the tubing, and as gas continues to enter, it pushes theentire column of f luid toward the top of the well. No flow is permittedfrom the tubing into the chamber at the bottom of the well below thepacking I0 because of the check valve I4, and hence no substantialpressure is removed from the piston at the bottom of the tubing untilthe liquid has been forced out of the tubing, the valves 25 and 24 willremain open until this column of liquid has been forced completely outof the well.

When this takes place, the pressure within the tubing is at oncerelieved and the natural pressure of the formation at the bottom of thewell will tien force the piston 26 upward to close the valves 5 and 24,preventing further ingress of gas under' pressure. Then the pressure atthe alaaovs bottom of the well will cause the check valve I4 to reopenand the process will be repeated.

It is noteworthy that by the arrangement above set forth, no fluid willbe forced from the Well until the column of liquid has risen in thetubing to a height such that it will exert a pressure at the bottom ofthe tubing substantially equal to the natural formation pressure at thatpoint. On the other hand, the operation of the device is so certain thatwhen the column of fluid within the tubing reaches such height, thepressure within and without the bottom of the tubing, will be equalizedand the gas automatically admitted to ilow the tubing, without anyattention on the part of the operator.

It will thus be seen that the device is entirely independent in itsoperation of any human factor and that it serves to raise the fluid outof the well independent of the amount of natural pressure which mayexist within the producing formation at the bottom of the well.

It will be readily apparent that a means has been provided for carryingout the objects and advantages sought by this invention in a manner bothefficient and practical.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired byLetters Patent, is:

l. In a well flowing apparatus, a tubing adapted to extend into thewell, means to admit well fluid into the said tubing, and meansoperatively independent of said first means to admit a gaseous substanceinto said tubing, adjacent to the lower end thereof when the pressure ofthe fluid at the bottom of said tubing bears a predetermined relation tothe natural formation pressure, whereby the fluid in saidV tubing willbe forced out of the well by said gaseous substance.

2. In a well flowing apparatus, a tubing adapted to extend into thewell, a check valve for admitting well fluid into said tubing, and meansoperatively independent of said check valve to admit a gaseous substanceinto said tubing adjacent to the lower end thereof when the pressure ofthe fluid at the bottom of said tubing substantially equals theformation pressure, whereby the fluid in said tubing will be forced outof the well by said gaseous substance.

3, In a well flowing apparatus, a tubing adapted to extend into thewell, means to admit well fluid into said tubing, and a balanced valveoperatively independent of said first means adapted to admit a gaseoussubstance into said tubing adjacent to the lower end thereof below saidfirst means when -the pressure of the fluid in said tubing substantiallyequals the formation pressure, whereby the fluid in said tubing will beforced out of the well by said gaseous substance.

4. In a well flowing apparatus, a tubing adapted to extend into thewell, means to admit well fluid into said tubing at a point above thebottom thereof, a balanced valve for admitting a gaseous substance intosaid tubing below the point of admission of said well fluid, and meansadapted to cause the opening of said valve when the pressure of fluidwithin said tubing bears a predetermined relation to the naturalformation pressure at the bottom of the well. y

5. In a well flowing apparatus, a tubing adapted to extend into thewell, means to admit well fluid into said tubing, a balanced valve foradmitting a gaseous substance under pressure into said tubing adjacentto the lower end of same, and a plunger subject to the pressure withinthe lower end of said tubing and to the natural formation pressure atthe bottom of the well and adapted to open said balanced valve when saidpressure within the tubing rises to substantially the value of saidpressure in the bottom of the well.

6. In a well owing apparatus. means for sealing oi the lower portion ofthe well to form a pressure chamber, a tubing closed at its lower endhaving its lower end extending at least to substantially the level ofthe upper end of said chamber, a check valve for admitting uid from saidpressure chamber into said tubing, means for conducting gas underpressure to a point adjacent to the lower end of said tubing, and avalve operable by a pre-determined ratio of pressure between theinterior of said tubing adjacent its lower end and the interior of saidchamber at substantially the same level to admit the gaseous substanceinto said tubing adjacent to its lower end.

7. In a well flowing-apparatus, means for sealing off the lower portionof the well to form a pressure chamber, a tubing closed at its lower endand having its lower end extending at least to substantially the levelof the upper end of said chamber, a check valve for admitting 'ilu'idfrom said pressure chamber into said tubing at a point above the lowerend of said tubing, means for conducting a gaseous substance underpressure to a point adjacent to the lower end of said tubing and a valveoperable by a" predetermined ratio of pressure between the interior andexterior of said tubing adjacent its lower end to admit said gaseoussubstance into said tubing adjacent to its lower end.

8. In a well flowing apparatus, a means for sealing oif the lowerportion of the well to form a pressure chamber, a tubing extending intosaid chamber and closed at its lower end, a check valve for admittinguid from said pressure chamber into said tubing, at a point above the edto extend into the well, means to admit well fluid into said tubing,valve means below said irst means for controlling the admission of agaseous substance into said tubing adjacent the lower end thereof, andmeans for fully opening said valve means when the pressure in saidtubing adjacent the bottom thereof attains a predetermined relation tothe formation pressure.

THOMAS E. BRYAN.

